Casual fans may find it intriguing that internationally acclaimed trumpeter Dave Douglas runs marathons in his spare time. But longtime followers of Douglas are more likely to react with disbelief that this perpetually busy jazz maverick has any spare time at all.

This, after all, is the same Dave Douglas who leads up to half a dozen different bands, almost concurrently, runs his own record and DVD label, Greenleaf Music, and works around the world as a jazz educator (he just concluded a 10-year run as the director of the Jazz & Creative Music Program at the Banff Center in Canada). He is also the founder and director of the New York-based Festival of New Trumpet Music, which celebrated its 10th anniversary last month, and he hosts “A Noise from the Deep,” a regular series of Podcasts in which he interviews prominent musicians.

For good measure, to commemorate his 50th birthday this year Douglas is doing a 50 States Tour, which he launched with the goal of performing this year in all 50 states. He performs here Wednesday, under the auspices of the La Jolla Athenaeum, at TSRI Auditorium (known until last year as the Neurosciences Institute Auditorium). He’ll be accompanied by an all-star band that features saxophonist Jon Irabagon, bassist Linda Oh, pianist Bobby Avey and drummer Rudy Royston.

Dave Douglas Quintet performs "Garden State"

“I think I’m more like an evil genius than a workaholic!” quipped Douglas, speaking by phone from New York.

“I love what I do and I work every day. One of the attractions for me in having a lot of different projects going is that, if I hit the wall with one, I can turn the page and work on something else. It’s all a part of exploring the work Having a record label is part of that, running the trumpet festival is part of that, the different educational projects I’ve been involved with are part of that as well and they all enrich me. So when I’m in my studio writing music or practicing, I feel like all the world is there, enriching me and my work.”

Douglas’ career is a testament to his ability, dedication and diversity.

In addition to leading numerous bands of his own and collaborating with an array of jazz greats.

They range from clarinetist Don Byron and pianists Horace Silver and Marital Solal to bassist (and UC San Diego professor) Mark Dresser and saxophonists Anthony Braxton and Joe Lovano. In pop, Douglas has worked with everyone from Sheryl Crow and Suzanne Vega to The Band and Ron Sexsmith.

Yet, no matter the stylistic context, his trumpet work is a marvel of skill, with and emotional depth and dexterity. He also has the rare ability to sound like himself in almost any setting.

“I try to bring myself to every project,” he affirmed. “And depending on the music, there’s more or less room for me to try to find that. When I’m most satisfied is when there’s time to try a lot of different options and come up with something unique.”

Douglas made his recording debut in the mid-1980s as a member of the band Second Sight. He was in his early twenties at the time. How much has his impetus for making music changed in the intervening years?

"That's a really good question," he said.

"You know, I guess that – in some ways – it hasn't changed at all. And, in other ways, it continues to evolve and grow every day. The way it hasn't changed is that music is about enjoyment and having fun, and challenging myself. You know, it's just really fulfilling to play and the reason I started to write music is I wanted to have something to play with my friends. I came up learning jazz standards. And, at some other point, I wanted a different repertoire (to play). So, now, when I'm writing for, say, a classical orchestra, my impetus is still: 'What would be a really fun and challenging thing for these musicians to play?'

"The experiences of doing it is what turns me on. The highpoint for me is when I have a new piece and my band is out on stage, playing it. When the band hits its stride, that's the best feeling in the world. I sort of feel that, as you keep writing and playing, the simplicity remains, but there's an underlying depth to your interactions and to the kinds of feelings you can express through the music. I do feel that, as a composer, I'm continuing to refine my craft. And one of the very important things to me is to be writing for a community of players. I'm dealing with people. And, as time goes by, you get deeper and deeper relationships, and more experience at communicating with people. I feel that's a big part of band-leading, composing and trumpet playing for me. And, with every year, I feel it's a growth process."

With his latest band, Douglas continues to simultaneously stretch the traditions of jazz while saluting the rich traditions of the music. The result is forward-looking music that is rooted in a past that is constantly being updated and expanded.

To do this, he works with musicians who share his quest for aural adventure and his reverence for the legacy of jazz that came before them. Together, they can let the music take them where it will, free to soar (and sometimes tumble) as they reach for new musical heights.

"I don't want to ever feel like I have to be 'cool'," Douglas said. "I want to feel like I can do the stupidest thing in world, and that's OK, because – when I play it – no one will have an attitude. We find our paths to 'stupidness' together!"

Douglas chuckled.

"Sorry to toss you a softball there – you've got a scoop! I think it's really openness that I seek and, I hate to say it, but having a firm grasp of the history of the music and where its coming from."

Come again? Why does he hate to say that?

"Because a lot of what I've rebelled against in jazz is the idea we should playwhat people played in the 1950s," Douglas replied. "I came up at a time when originality was valued and I have always tried to do my own thing, and I value that in the players I work with. At the same time, the music I write comes out of this enormous tradition (of jazz). So it's really rare for me to play with somebody who doesn't have a thorough grasp of that tradition and be satisfied with the outcome.

"Look at Mark Dresser. He's a revolutionary musician, doing new music all the time. But if you talked with him about (pioneering jazz bassists) Ray Brown or Israel Crosby, he would have a lot to say. So as modern as his music is, there's a firm grounding he has in all sorts of traditions. And that comes to bear. You want to hear that richness. When I hear (Douglas quintet member) Jon (Irabagon) play, you hear the history of the tenor saxophone speaking through that guy, because he has that grounding."